NO, THAT IS MY HUSBAND. Some things one does not share.

“It is all your fault. God will make you pay for what you have done.” Sari is not just a little mad, she is wet hen sort of mad.

This confusing statement comes months after Abram's beautiful wife Sari had decided to lend him her personal maid as a surrogate mother. We have no evidence that Abram complained to his wife about not having children. God had promised them children. He had already told them they would be the mother and father of many Nations. It appears they did all the right things but no babies came. You see this was some 4,000 years ago in the Middle East and the value of a woman was measured by the children she could bear.

Sari knew God had great plans for Abram and she felt she was hindering things by not having children. So she said, Abram God has not seen fit to give me children take Hagar and maybe I can have some children by her. There is so evidence that Abram said, “No honey you will be unhappy later.” Nor is there any evidence of word but action speaks rather loudly. We do not hear him saying “Oh I don't know but I'll give it a try.” He did give it a try and Hagar became pregnant.

That was about the time the fat hit the fan. Hagar knew Abram was number one man in the area and she was only a beautiful piece of Egyptian property at the time; she knew she was about to give him a baby and her mistress could not do that. So she treated Sari badly thinking she could get away with that given her new found step up. Not so quick girl.

This brought about those harsh words toward Abram by Sari. “Is she not your maid servant? Asked Abram. Then do with her as you please.

Sari dealt harshly with Hagar and she ran away. An Angel of God saw her running through the wilderness and stopped her. “Hagar where are you going?”

“I am running away from my mistress, she has treated me badly.”

“No. You are pregnant. Return to your mistress. I will bless your son he is to be called Ishmael and he will be the ancestor of the nation of twelve princes. Return now and do as I have told you.” And Hagar called him the God that sees me.

We have no knowledge of Sari taking the child or having anything to do with him and his mother except for her position as maid. But ten years pass and God in the manifestation of a man comes to lunch with Abram. He announces that in one year from this date Sari will bear a son by Abram and this son will be called Isaac. You will the father of all Nations. This is a bit staggering to Abram. Sari laughs; after all she is 90 and Abram is 99 years old. Abram asks if he can't just bless Ishmael. God said specifically I will bless Ishmael but he is not the son of promise and he will not be the father of my people. That day God changed the names of Sari and Abram to Sarah and Abraham. He instructs Abraham to go home and circumcise every male eight days or older in the whole camp, slave and free.

Very soon thereafter the cat fight that has gone for more than 4,000 began and is going strong today. Isaac means laughter and you can see from the text that there is joy and laughter in the camp. We come to the time of the weaning of the child and Sarah throws a massive party. This is a true celebration and we notice there is behavior to show what will come later and that this is missing from Ishmael. I don't know if it is written in the Jewish Traditions, but there is definitely strong indication here so we will know what did not take place. Bar Mitzvah was not done for Ishmael, he was of the age but instead an eloborate weaning party was given Isaac. Ishmael knew he had been slighted and he made disparaging remarks about Isaac. Well this mother who waited 90 years to have a son took to that like a cat to water. She demanded both Ishmael and his mother Hagar be driven from the camp and never to return. We know Abraham loved his son Ishmael and he starts to talk with Sarah but God stops him and says let it be. Do as Sarah has said. The next morning early he gave Hagar and the boy a skin of water and sent them on their way.

We don't know how long Hagar was in the wilderness before Ishmael begins to fade. He is dehydrating fast and growing weary. She leans her son against a tree and moves away and calls upon the God that sees her. She tells him that she can't bear to sit idly by and watch her son die. God tells her the boy is not about to die. He is about to be blessed. He will be a wild man against everyone and everyone against him. He will be a warrior and will live in the desert. Then he tells her to look beside her and take the boy a drink. There was a well beside her. To me this is one of the greatest promise in the Bible to single mothers when you get down to your last move call on me and I will give you a well overflowing.

Now we know that Ishmael, name means wild one, son of Abram and Hagar became the father of all the Arab peoples, not the Palestinians, they can be traced by to the Philistines. Isaac, son of Abraham and Sarah became the father of the Hebrews or Jews. They will fight until the bitter end. The Ishamalites do not see anyone separate from the Jews except themselves. These two women began families with one father that will be a thorn in the side of the world until the very end it is being played our right now. The lack of trust Sari showed and getting ahead of God changed the world forever!Publish Post

Here is one important tidbit of news: To be circumcised establishes you as a member of the covenant between God and Abraham. To be bar Mitzvahed makes you an heir to the land God gave his people. This is the real issue of the fight between the First lady of the Jews and the first surrogate mother. The blessings of the covenant belong to both, but the land belongs to Israel.

©Johna Moody 06/06/08 All rights reserved.